BRUSSELS -- European Union trade chief announced on Thursday the anti-dumping investigation against Chinese telecommunications equipment makers will not be pursued.

EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said in a news conference the decision is a significant step towards addressing the mobile telecommunications case, but the European Commission would not drop the anti-subsidy investigation in the same area although it will not be activated for the time being.

"I am pleased that EU and China have recently been able to resolve a number of trade frictions, not least the polysilicon case and the wine case where China terminated their investigation without imposition of any duty, " De Gucht said.

De Gucht said negotiations between the EU and Chinese authorities will be continued towards an amicable solution.

China exports telecommunication network equipment to the EU market with a value of approximately just over 1 billion euros ($1.38 billion) per year.

Last year, European Commission planned to start an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation against China, but kept talks with Beijing open for a solution.